How do you treat/protect your new cars paint?

[Andru8]

I don't like cleaning cars to be truthful so I have been researching paint protection for my new car when it arrives. I went through the options here and chose the car and as new http://gtechniq.com/service/. The cost came out at about £700 and almost 2 days to apply and harden to protect the paintwork. Admittedly they do state it should last for 7 years, so if that means I can just hose down my car once a week to bring the shine back it maybe something I may consider.

What type of protection do you all do and is there anything that I can find on par with the above but at a little less expensive?

 

[steeve]

There's one train of thought and it has been proven to work, is don't clean it. Leave the dirt to accumulate (although I wouldn't do the same for the wheels) as its the mechanical process of cleaning a car that causes most of the scratches and swirls.

Personally I like to see a nice clean and shiny car.

Have you looked through the detailing section, it's perhaps where you might ask your question.

You could also get it professionally detailed every six months if you dislike cleaning it yourself.

 

[Simon L]

.......now this is a really easy one!!

You ask the wonderful members of ASN.................get a bewildering array of products recommended and end up more confused than you were in the first place!! lol

 

[S32B]

.......now this is a really easy one!!

You ask the wonderful members of ASN.................get a bewildering array of products recommended and end up more confused than you were in the first place!! lol

and have considerably less in your wallet to boot

 

[HawkeyeS3]

I used to go for the complete detailing package on new cars but now don't bother - reason being that whatever you apply is still going to get contaminated in one way or another, and whilst it may last 7 years, the finish after that time won't be great (IMO). in fact you'll need to get it re-detailed well before that time in all honesty.

Instead now, the only aspect I go for is an interior detail to protect the seats etc from staining - which does last and works quite well. For the exterior, I snow foam mine twice a year, followed by claying (Bilt Hamber soft clay - also use Bilt Hamber wheel cleaner) it to remove the build up of deposits (joys of living next to a main road), before sealing and waxing it with Menzerma products. Generally I do this late Autumn (so protected through winter) and late Spring (so shiny for the summer). I find this keeps a nice hard smooth finish.

In the summer, after washing, I'll often go over it with some Megs Detailer just to keep the finish looking good.

Horses for course really, I happen to enjoy washing and polishing my cars and bikes, but good as modern polishes and waxes may be, in my opinion (note ONLY my opinion), there is nothing yet on the market that will last long enough - certainly not 7 years - such that you only have to wash your car off to get it back to showroom condition

 

[Jassyo06]

Gyeon do a ceramic kit for about £80 a detailer should charge around @£350/£400 to apply this stuff it will ease the cleaning /washing process and last a couple of year's

 

[Lhasa2008]

My local Audi dealer suggested Gardx on my new car (for £500), and this would applied before delivery.

Has anyone heard of Gardx?

Would you recommend it?

 

[Whitestar]

My local Audi dealer suggested Gardx on my new car (for £500), and this would applied before delivery.

Has anyone heard of Gardx?

Would you recommend it?

Don't touch it, use the money to get it professionally detailed.

 

[The_Ironist]

I did:
Snow foam
Thorough wash
Tardis tar remover
Rinse
Iron out iron remover
Thorough wash
Ex-p sealant x 2 (others use gyeon)
Natty blue wax x 2
Poorboys wheel sealant for wheels and exhaust tips.

It's due again but going to wait until it warms up a bit. Will add black hole between wash and sealant also.

Any dealer protection is usually applied poorly by non specialist cleaner. If you want to spend that money go to a pro detailer for better and likely cheaper job.

 

[Andru8]

Thanks All for your input. It has given me a starting block to do a little more research. I will try to find one that can do it at the dealers the day before collection. I thought that over £700 was on the expensive side, I don't mind paying a fair price for a good product and durable finish.

 

[Scottyg]

They'll do more damage applying the GuardX then you'll have to get it properly detailed due to the state of it. I do all my own detailing so it's not a chore for me. As said, the best products will give you approx 2 years protection. But even with that it'll require to be topped up to keep the depth of gloss you would want from a new car. These coatings really only stop your lacquer coating being riddled with swirls or fine scratches from a poor washing routine. I've just got some CarPro Cquartz UK to apply in the spring. But this will be done after full clay and APC wipe down. It's all in the prep.

Pop over to Detailing World. However, prepare to lose a considerable amount of dosh in the process.

 

[S32B]

My local Audi dealer suggested Gardx on my new car (for £500), and this would applied before delivery.

Has anyone heard of Gardx?

Would you recommend it?

Hope you are sitting down!!! I'd suggest £500 if you were willing to pay me that, then I'd buy it for THIS

 

[Lhasa2008]

Hope you are sitting down!!! I'd suggest £500 if you were willing to pay me that, then I'd buy it for THIS

Ha, Brilliant! So that'll be £492.05 added for Audi VAT then!!!

 

[musicegbdf]

Good advice.
I spoke with a guy who used to do treatments for main dealers. He used to apply sureguard. The pad to treat it cost £15 and he could treat four cars with one pad. He actually sold me one.
The dealers gave them 30 mins treatment time.
For around £400 you should get a top notch detail. A few weeks back I posted a link to a youtube video of mine being pro detailed.

 

[Jassyo06]

Thanks All for your input. It has given me a starting block to do a little more research. I will try to find one that can do it at the dealers the day before collection. I thought that over £700 was on the expensive side, I don't mind paying a fair price for a good product and durable finish.

Andru your buying into a Audi like Franchise with these gtechniq franchises mate...total rip off..because the gtechniq crystal serum is only available to them,the Gyeon version is available to all,a smaller detailer will do it far cheaper with the Gyeon kit....l was quoted £300 for this kit from a guy who worked for himself...but decided to do it myself...even though a gave him a £50 deposit of which l lost.
Shop about dont pay more than £450 max..and ps you only need the paint work done....forget all the wheel stuff....covering diminishing returns

As to above poster about Guard X...forget the exterior application....the interior kit is very good and smells amazing...l got it free from my son/salesman...

 

[carson]

I have CQuartz Ceramic Quartz protection on my S4 paintwork and wheels. I cannot recommend it enough.

It makes the job of keeping the car clean so much easier as the dirt does not bond to the paintwork.

Additionally I can just hose dry the car and the water sheets off. Simply need to pat dry any excess water.

 

[Andru8]

Good advice.
I spoke with a guy who used to do treatments for main dealers. He used to apply sureguard. The pad to treat it cost £15 and he could treat four cars with one pad. He actually sold me one.
The dealers gave them 30 mins treatment time.
For around £400 you should get a top notch detail. A few weeks back I posted a link to a youtube video of mine being pro detailed.

Can you post the link to the Youtube video?

 

[Andru8]

I have CQuartz Ceramic Quartz protection on my S4 paintwork and wheels. I cannot recommend it enough.

It makes the job of keeping the car clean so much easier as the dirt does not bond to the paintwork.

Additionally I can just hose dry the car and the water sheets off. Simply need to pat dry any excess water.

That sounds the perfect solution for me.Did you do it or was it done professionally?

 

[carson]

That sounds the perfect solution for me.Did you do it or was it done professionally?

It was done professionally bud. There is a considerable amount of preparation involved and obviously it is ideal to have a full paint correction prior to it being applied. It also has to applied and left to cure at specific temperature.

It is defiantly a worthwhile investment if you care about your paintwork. It looked after it can last for years without need to reapply.

 

[Pinky1959]

As stated go to wwwdetailingworld.co.uk its an amazing place for information . Find a detailer near to where you are buying the car and get them to come to the garage and work magic on the new car .

 

[SJ43]

I have Gtechniq serum and exo on my paintwork and its really good, water behaviour is crazy also. Any sealant should be very beneficial mate. Don't go with anything the dealer has to offer, they'll rip you off.

 

[Tristan2]

I have Gtechniq serum and exo on my paintwork and its really good, water behaviour is crazy also. Any sealant should be very beneficial mate. Don't go with anything the dealer has to offer, they'll rip you off.

Where did you get yours done?

 

[SJ43]

Midlands Car Care in Walsall, used them for quite a few of my cars over the years and highly recommend them.

 

[Andru8]

Midlands Car Care in Walsall, used them for quite a few of my cars over the years and highly recommend them.

How long did it take to complete? I'm struggling at the moment to find a detailer in south Wales that can do that for a reasonable price. If I've got to travel a little and stay overnight I don't mind, it'll help run the car in when I get it.

 

[SJ43]

It can vary from 1-3 days due to the amount of correction (i.e swirl marks and scratched etc) that are on your paint. Looking back though I feel gtechniq serum was overkill and maybe exo would have been more then enough. I think you need to weight it up based on how long you intend to keep the car for!

 

[musicegbdf]

Can you post the link to the Youtube video?

here it is enjoy

 

[Bristle Hound]

.......now this is a really easy one!!

You ask the wonderful members of ASN.................get a bewildering array of products recommended and end up more confused than you were in the first place!! lol

^ This

and have considerably less in your wallet to boot

^ & very much this

Pop over to Detailing World. However, prepare to lose a considerable amount of dosh in the process.

^ & even more this

@Andru8 - My new car Detail on my S4
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/thread...lue-b8-5-audi-s4-black-edition-saloon.247421/

My local Audi dealer suggested Gardx on my new car (for £500), and this would applied before delivery.

Has anyone heard of Gardx?

Would you recommend it?

@Lhasa2008 - More on Gardx here -
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/gardx-and-supaguard-not-worth-the-money.230538/
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/thoughts-about-autoglym-lifeshine.225359/